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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. land — to come down
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — ground
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bore — to tire
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. band — a music group
  16. chair — a leader
  17. band — a ring
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. land — a country
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rash — a series
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com